Trailer Boats

Trailer boats are not so much different by design, as much as there are some general guidelines regarding size, especially the width permitted to participate in the road traffic
(obviously the rules are country dependent), the hight (any masts or other projections) and the keel shape. Once on the water, they are no different than other boats of similar type.

Yet there are special considerations with trailer boats. They spend considerable time on their trailer. So they must sit snugly on it, securely tied down when on the road not to slide off at the
first hump as you drive 100 km/h or more, or to end up on top of you when you need to suddenly brake. Everything, and especially that heavy anchor if it stays in front, has to be firmly
tied to prevent any UFO-s (unexpected flying objects) when on the road.

Even when parked on the street or somewhere around your house, you must take care of the
inclination of the terrain and turn the trailer with the boat on it so that the rain that gets into the cockpit does not accumulate into a 2 tonne lake, but it flows out through the open scuppers
or through the special holes in the transom (unless you have forgotten to take the bung out).

And your trailer brakes and lights, submerged into the (salty) water during the launch and the retrieval of the boat, are a continuous concern. Of course, not to forget regular checking and greasing of the
wheel hubs...

And then, there are (sadly) the anti-theft precautions you should take to make it at least harder for someone to tow away your boat while you are asleep or away, or to take the parked trailer
while you are having a good time with your boat on the water.

Yes, there are a number of issues specific to the trailer boats. We wish to address them, to help any new proud trailer boat owners and those still less experienced, and to initiate
forum discussions and exchange of experiences.

The picture to the left shows the Platypus neatly parked on the side of the street, turned so that the rain water that comes into the open cockpit (we consider parking covers too impractical) flows
freely out through the open scuppers and bung holes. The trailer hand brake pulled tight, a wheel clamp and a tow bar clamp in place, with a few extra reflective pads in front and the side, the boat
spends way too much time at rest like that.

Your Experiences

Well, what do you say? What are your trailer boat ideas, thoughts, concerns and experiences? Share them with the rest of the youBoat.net boating community.
Contact us, send in your texts and your photos. and/or use the forum.

Together we know more. And everyone benefits from the shared knowledge and experiences.